Those of us who are really into hammered dulcimers and the instruments that sound so great with them seem to have a passion for festivals. It's where we see our closest friends and make new ones. It's where we learn the "hot new tunes," or learn from old-timers the tunes of previous eras.

In Michigan, our festivals are primarily "outdoors" so they are held in the summer months. But they range greatly in structure. Some are very organized, some are really just camping weekends. It doesn't matter, we all want to be there!

The biggest hammered dulcimer events in the world are held in Michigan. The largest is the Evart Funfest, which has been on-going for something like 37 years! If you are a dulcimer player (of the hammered variety), you've heard of the ODPC Funfest. It's Mecca for dulcimer players. It's the one "must attend" event.

We've had folks fly in from Japan, stay for the three days of the festival, and fly back. We've had folks who have scheduled weddings around the festival. There have been others who have driven from Mexico, or regularly from California, JUST so they can attend the festival.

It would be interesting to see just how many events have been re-scheduled because of the funfest, or how many events have been "missed" because the Evart Funfest is the most important event of the year for a great share of the people who attend.

So put the date of the ODPC Funfest on your future calendars in ink and don't miss any of them. In the meanwhile, you can find other smaller events around the country. They are also wonderful with a loyal following.

Click on the "Festivals" link (in the top menu):